The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 20, 2005
Filed:
May. 24, 2001
Jon K. Wallace, Redford, MI (US);
Farid Khairallah, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Nicholas M. Zayan, Fenton, MI (US);
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
Jon K. Wallace, Redford, MI (US);
Farid Khairallah, Farmington Hills, MI (US);
Nicholas M. Zayan, Fenton, MI (US);
Stephen R. W. Cooper, Fowlerville, MI (US);
TRW Inc., Lyndhurst, OH (US);
Abstract
An apparatus () and associated method determine a vehicle occupant characteristic. An imager () collects a first image of an occupant location while the occupant location is subject to a first lighting condition. A light source () provides light onto the occupant location. The imager () collects a second image of the occupant location while the occupant location is subject to the first lighting condition and the provided light. A subtractor device () generates a third image of the occupant location indicative of the difference between the first and second images. An image processing device () processes the third image to determine the vehicle occupant characteristic.